THE TRINITY - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

THE TRINITY The Trinity God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit The Nicene Creed We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

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The doctrine of the Trinity is the primary doctrine of Christianity in that it reveals the ultimate truth, the nature of ultimate reality, the nature of God. (It does not define God, but it truly reveals God.) Other mysteries of our Faith tell us what God has done in time (the Creation, the Incarnation, the Resurrection), but the Trinity tells us what God is in eternity. (Peter Kreeft p. 18, God)

The ultimate end of the whole divine economy is the entry of God’s creatures into the perfect unity of the Blessed Trinity. (cf John 17:21-23) But even now we are called to be a dwelling for the Most Holy Trinity: “If a man loves me,” says the Lord, “he will keep my word and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. (John 14:23)” (CCC260)

The Data for Christian theology re. the Trinity are first of all Christ Himself. On the one hand, he called God his Father, prayed to him, loved him, taught his teaching and obeyed his will. On the other hand he claimed to be one with, and equal to the Father. And he also promised to send the Spirit. The Scriptural data from which the Church derives the doctrine of the Trinity are essentially:

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.“

GENESIS 1:1-3 (In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.) AND JOHN 1:1 (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God; [3] all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.)

Jesus is the complete and perfect revelation of God. (St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians 1:15-20 [15] He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; [16] for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities -- all things were created through him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. [19] For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. )

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, “the God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said ot Moses, “ I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, theGod of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to yo’; this is my name for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

[7] And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. [9] Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread; [12] And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; [13] And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. [14] For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; [15] but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus Christ has two distinct natures, human and divine. He is true God and true man. Jesus Christ is God because he is the Son of God, the second person of the Blessed Trinity: He has the same divine nature as his Father. As God, Jesus Christ has always existed. Jesus Christ is man because he is the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary and has a body and soul like ours. As man, he began to exist from the moment of the Incarnation but as God he existed always, before all time..

Heracleitus (540 B.C.) was a philosopher who tried to explain the world in which we all live. He believed that there was a principle called “The LOGOS” which was like human reason and gave order to the world.

Philo of Alexandria (15 B.C. - A.D. 50) was a Jewish philosopher, who believed that the LOGOS existed between God and the universe. It had created everything that we see, touch, and know. It helped us to know and think about the existence of God. The LOGOS was the glue of the universe. He believed that God worked through the LOGOS to give order to the world.

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. 14 As many were astonished at him*-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men-- 15 so shall he startle* many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand. 53:1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected* by men; a man of sorrows*, and acquainted with grief; * and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; * when he makes himself* an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand; 11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. 12* Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" 14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16* Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17* And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18* And I tell you, you are Peter, * and on this rock * I will build my church, and the powers of death * shall not prevail against it. 19* I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

20* Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. 21 * From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you." 23* But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance * to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men."

24* Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? 27* For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done. 28* Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."

“That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve.”

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, “the God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said ot Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, theGod of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to yo’; this is my name for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father:

a) he is the only Son of the Father

(cf. John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” or John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.”

John 3:16, 18 “16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

(Acts 2) When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.

7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.

15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' 22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know-- 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.

“I tell you ask, and it will be given you: seek and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you, then,, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more, will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13)

St. Gregory of Nanzianzus: “The Old Testament proclaimed the Father clearly, but the Son more obscurely. The New Testament revealed the Son and gave us a glimpse of the divinity of the Spirit. Now the Spirit dwells among us and grants us a clearer vision of Himself. It was not prudent, when the divinity of the Father had not yet been confessed to proclaim the Son openly and when the divinity of the Son was not yet admitted, to add the Holy Spirit.”

“Because the Spirit’s presence to us cAn be even more intimate than Christ’s. Or rather, Christ himself can be more intimately present through his Spirit than he was to his apostles bodily. They knew him better – more intimately and more accurately – after he left them and sent his Spirit. This is clear by comparing the apostles, especially Peter, in the Gospels and in Acts. ( Peter Kreeft The Holy Spirit p. 18.)

Only one merely human being in history was so full of grace” and of the Holy Spirit in this world that she was sinless, and perfectly obeyed the “first and greatest commandment,” to love God with her whole heart and soul and mind and strength. Mary is the Spirit’s masterpiece, “our tainted nature’s solitary boast.”

The Holy Spirit prepared Mary by his grace. It was fitting that the mother of him in whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” should herself be full of grace. She was bysheer grace, conceived without sin as the most humble of creatures, most capable of welcoming the inexpressible gift of the Almighty

Carefully read the booklets #2 God, #5 Jesus Christ & # 6 The Holy Spirit of the Luke E. Hart series and the pertinent section “The Profession of Faith” of the Catechism. Review your notes on today’s lecture. Then read the gospel of John. Trace the revelation of the doctrine of the Trinity, particularly as it is found in the Gospel of John, but also looking at how this gospel is a fulfillment of the revelation of the three persons of the Blessed Trinity in the Old Testament, and how John’s gospel became the foundation of the Christian understanding of the Trinity in the early Church. (roughly 1500 -2000 words )